
More than 1,300 people have been arrested in dozens of cities across Russia in a crackdown on anti-war protests, according to independent protest monitoring group OVD-Info.
The group said the figure includes at least 502 people in Moscow and 524 people in St Petersburg.
Protests have been organized in Moscow, St. Petersburg and 30 other Russian cities since Putin announced the mobilization on September 21, the OVD-Info organization said.
In Moscow, many women also protested, chanting "Life for our children" and "No to war". According to videos posted on social media, hundreds of people protested in Moscow, as protesters formed a human chain, holding hands with each other.
Protesters also held blue and yellow banners, which are the colors of the Ukrainian flag, and chanted "Against mobilization" and "Russia without Putin".
Authorities warned citizens that they could face up to 15 years in prison for participating in these protests.
In St Petersburg, opponents of the mobilization order - including many women - gathered in front of a cathedral, where they were surrounded by police. There were reports that the police beat the protesters with rubber batons.